Now the Promotion wheel is rolling!

I have embarked on a super cool project together with Detlef D Soost and D's Dance School here in Berlin. We have so many ideas and I love working with people where things happen! It is all talk and ACTION! It is so inspiring and motivating.

The past week I have been having meetings with the team. It is fun and totally new for me to be a part of something this big.

Today I saw the übercool choreographer Caro dance to my song Better off Alone and that is worth it all - I got really moved by it! Wow it looked SO good! Can't wait to see a whole dance team doing moves to my song next week.

I can't say so much more about it all at this time, but as soon as things are ready I will post updates and links to it all.

So until then - keep sharing my video and thank you so much for supporting me and taking an interest in what I do. It means a lot! You are helping me keep my dream alive!

Sunshine and springvibes from Berlin,

Nina xx

My song has been picked for a dance-school video in Germany!

Things are really happening now! All because I put out my self-made, non-perfect video and released my song at the "right time". 

This week a group of professional dancers from D's Dance School are shooting a video with a new dance choreography. This video will be sent out to more than 140 dance schools across Germany as well as go online AND they decided they will use my song Better off Alone for it !!!  Wohoo - this is BIG for me! No, bigger than big and I am so happy.

Jeffrey Jimenez, who is shooting and editing the video just won an Audience award at the Berlinale her in Berlin for a shortfilm he did. Check it here ( I LOVE IT!). Don't think the one they do for my song is quite as advanced, but this guy has big time talent and dares to think out of the box!

But that is not all!
In June there is a huge show for all the Danseschools here in Germany and I will be performing my song live infront of 3-4000 people with dancers performing alongside me. Imagine that ;)

Love from sunny Berlin,

Nina x

What would you do if money did not matter?

This morning I accidentally came across this brilliant video on Youtube. It asks the same question as I have asked myself, my friends and others the past year: What would you do if money did not matter ?

By asking yourself this question and not thinking about your own limitations or skills, you will be surprised over how much fun it is and how much energy it gives you to think in this limitless way. 

When I ask myself this question I know the answer: I want to live of writing music from the heart; working with great producers; performing my music so it touches an audience. I want to to travel the world and get renewed inspiration for my music. Alongside it all I want to write about my life in the hope that it inspires more people to dare to follow a passion - big or small. One day I would also like to meet Mr Right and have someone to share it all with.  

The best thing is that I have begun my adventure. I quit online marketing after 5 years in the bizz and devoted all my time to music. When I write music I dont think; " how can I make a hit so I get rich and famous". I go into a quiet mode and often a little melancholy too and then I write from my heart. If my music is authentic I believe it will touch the right people and then I may be able to live from it one day. If I turn my focus around and let it be on money then I will loose the magic. I would rather live a minimalistic / scarce lifestyle as long as I can do what I love and wake up every morning and look forward to a new day. 

I know this is more easy for me to do than for some of you, as I am alone and have no children, but getting to this point took a lot of sacrifices for me too. I don't regret any of them. They made me into who I am and would never go back to my former lifestyle now that I have tasted the nectar of this sweet new and passionate life I live. 

So, back to why I decided to write all this... I saw this video and I so want to share it with you as I am sure it will inspire you too. Watch it, remember it, share it, live it and enjoy it.

Love from Berlin

Nina

How's it been going since I released Better off Alone?

It has been 3 days since I released my single Better off Alone and my homemade musicvideo and what a ride it has been!

Charbase.dk the 09.04.13

As I wrote in my last blogpost I almost did not post my video and make my single release official, cause I was so afraid my video was not good enough. Boy am I happy I did not let this hold me back, cause the response and support I have received from people is overwhelming. 

So, apart from people sharing my video and liking it, I have received a fantastic review of my song on a Danish website called Chartbase. They said my song had the potential to get lots of airplay on radios and be a top10 hit. It all depends on me knowing the right people! So, there you have it. A good song is only 50% and the other 50% is knowing the right and influencial people. Let's hope I do that! Knowing this does not put me off, I see the PR side of it as a challenge I can overcome through skill, determination and dedication.

I guess most importantly the biggest success feeling I have right now is that I dared to do it; I quit my job, did a video and released my music alone. This is in itself a huge accomplishment for me and one I must never forget the value and symbolism of. 

If you want to see the Danish review then here is the link:
http://www.chartbase.dk/soegning.php?soeg=nina+hall&hitliste=1&artikler=1 


I'll keep ya posted as soon as something new happens!

Nina x

This is it ! - My first single and video are online!

“Cold feet” wont get me anywhere!

What a ride the last 24 hours have been. Since I finished editing my video yesterday I have not dared to share it. I posted on facebook that I was finished and would upload it within 24 hours. This is 30 hours ago and I still have not uploaded it. I did not sleep much in the night and I felt sick all day today! 

Honestly, I went into complete panic mode and it did not help when a good friend of mine saw the video and said it was way too poor quality to use. For a second I felt like deleting it all and then immediately I felt this surge of energy taking over and saying NO, you will not give up! Not now when you have come this far! I love my song and that is key.

How am I gonna manage if I have to go through this every time I upload a song or video being an artist? I actually sit an laugh as I write this, cause I can see how silly it is. I am so afraid of not making my music dream that I think it all depends on this one thing! I really have made this thing into something so huge I almost don't even dare do it and just how far is that gonna get me? 

My sisters husband saw the video today and said that I had to put it out there and stand by it. Then he wrote, and I love this: Perfection is not the goal, but movement is! 

That hit the spot. If I chose not to take action and keep on waiting then nothing will happen. 

This is when I woke up from my trail of fear thoughts! If I have to wait with getting my music out there until I have made another more pro. video I can easily wait another month or two or three and my song has been finished since… hold on… October 2012! And, I would probably still doubt a new video knowing me.

The challenge for me today has been to overcome my fear and keep the ball rolling. I am doing this now. So, in all its imperfection, authenticity and glory I present to you my own video and my first Single: Better off Alone. 

The video is my life here in Berlin. It is shot in my hood and the bar Acud (or Max Fish as it is also called) is the first place where I performed Better off Alone at an Open Mike. I wanted it to be real and 100% me. I feel this is accomplished.

If you feel like supporting me feel free to buy my song Better off Alone on iTunes, CDbaby, Amazon, Google or listen for free on Spotify. I would be so happy if you would share my video and my story!

Lets keep moving even if it means being imperfect and vulnerable. This is the real life!

Love Nina xx

Learning by DOING!

I decided to write about this powerful phrase: learning by doing. Why? Because, that is where I am right now! 

 

I must say that I am learning to embrace this phrase in all its glory and challenges.

As you may have read in my previous blogpost I decided to release my first single alone, or as you would call it in business terms; as an independent artist. 
 

Editing my video - waffles and coffee aid in the process!

This also means that I have to read a lot about which aggregator (cdbaby, tunecore etc) to use to get my music online on iTunes, Spotify, Amazon. I would lie if I said I found it fun to read my way through all the info about each one, but it won't get done if I don’t get my hands in the "dirty"!

Asking for help! 
Next step has been shooting and editing my music video and asking friends to help. I have a history of being very bad at asking for help. I always felt that if I did ask anyone, then they would probably expect a lot back from me and I would let them down. Even worse, what if I did not like what they had done and had to tell them? Yes, a blessing from my past. So, now you see why I often have chosen to work alone. 

Now that I am trying to change this, I am realizing that many people are just happy to help and do not expect anything in return. I am actually that kind of person too, which makes it even more funky, I gladly help people when I can and all I ask for in return is a "thank you". But, flipping the coin and being the one asking for help is so different. SO, overcoming this fear is also a part of the process. 

Lasse - chillin in between shooting my video

Having a “team” of good people around you, who help out as much as they want because they think it is fun is truly inspiring. This is what carries me through it all and keeps me focused and motivated. Of course there are other things than "asking for help" that affect my focus and determination, but this is a major one.

Lasse, my Danish Berlin friend, and I are editing my music video together. He took most of the shots of me here in my fave places in Berlin. All we used is my iPhone, an App called Super 8 (used to shoot most of the famous movie Searching for Sugarman), iMovie for the editing and our creativity (lattes, chocolates, cakes and laughs).

So, on that note I just encourage all of you out there to ask for help (preferably before you get stuck) and enjoy the ride with more people around you. It makes it so much more pleasurable to share the achievements and be in the creative process. Learning to listen to other people’s views on things and following your gut-feeling are key ingredients in taking things to greater levels.

Soon I will share my music video with you and I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did while making it.

Peace and love and keep your dreams alive!

Nina x